Pain in the Dark
by Kinkatia
Summary: The message finally gets through. Understanding is reached. But it is too late to stop the battle. It is to late to change things. And life...life must go on.
1. The Battle

**You know what I am? An idiot. So please excuse me for a moment while I berate myself. Baka! Baka baka baka baka baka! Okay. So, I'm an idiot. But I'm an idiot who loves to write! So, here's another fanfic to get in the way of the others! Enjoy!**

**Otulia: We don't own Tokyo Mew Mew, nya! But we love to watch it!**

**NOTE!!! Okay, I kinda recently finished watchin the entire series, and came up with a way to make this even better! So, there are a few changes...but they are important for the additions to the plot I've made. Oh, and I'm using their Japanese names...Gomen...**

Pain in the Dark

The Battle

"Hurry, everyone! It's now or never!"

The girls of Tokyo Mew Mew raced through the city.

"This will be the final battle!"

Three aliens floated over the center of Tokyo, watching their greatest Chimera Animal wreak havoc below.

"We can't let them win!"

A large amount of Mew Aqua waited below the streets, waiting for someone to find it and utilize its power.

"There they are!"

Five girls faced three guys, high above the streets of Tokyo.

"It's about time you got here; you've nearly missed all the fun."

"We won't let you succeed. This is our home as much as it is yours! You have no right to do this!"

"You filthy humans have polluted the Earth long enough. Today, everyone in Tokyo dies."

"Enough with this talk. Mew Retasu, Mew Purin, come with me. We'll handle the Chimera Animal. Mew Minto, Mew Ichigo, don't let them get away!"

"Right!"

The battle raged on. The Mew Mew girls began to fall behind. The Chimera Animal was immune to all their attacks, and the aliens were finally working together as a team. It seemed futile; they could not win this time. They fell to the ground, one by one, exhausted, and nearly beaten.

The aliens hovered over them, triumphant.

"You should have joined me when you had the chance, Ichigo. Then you wouldn't have to die."

Screams echoed all around them. If something wasn't done soon, Tokyo would crumble.

Five girls struggled to their feet. They would not lose.

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

"You humans have ruined the planet our people have dreamed of for thousands of years!"

"And you think we haven't realized that?"

"We know what we've done."

"Every day, we're trying to undo the damage."

"After all, this is our home. It's the only one we'll ever have."

"Such filthy creatures don't deserve to live here!"

Five girls began to glow. Anger filled them. Sadness flowed into the gaps. They would not lose. The consequences were too high. The ground began to glow with them. The Mew Aqua was resonating with them.

Three aliens hesitated. Should they fight, or should they flee? Their last order rang through their minds. _Exterminate them at all costs. I will tolerate no more failure. _There was but one thing to do.

Power filled the girls. An arrow, pulsing with bright blue light, pierced the armor of the Chimera Animal. It faded away, leaving no trace behind. The aliens looked at each other in fear.

The girls turned on them.

"Taru-Taru, I wish you wouldn't do bad things!"

"I told you to stop calling me that!"

"If you'd only listened, we could've worked things out."

"We would never work with the likes of you!"

"It doesn't matter. It's too late now."

"You're outnumbered. Just give up now, and end this pointless fight. You'll never win!"

A swirling vortex appeared behind the aliens. A figure emerged from it, shrouded in darkness, despite the glowing blue of the energy from the Mew Aqua.

The three aliens turned, surprised. As one, they bowed deeply.

"Deep Blue-sama."

"We weren't expecting you to join us."

Two were awed by the appearance of their leader; one stared on coldly. Their leader was not pleased with him. Now that Deep Blue was fully awakened, his fate had become uncertain.

"Are these the Mew Mews that keep getting in your way?"

"Yes."

"They shall die here."

The girls surrounded the aliens and their leader, unable to hold the power of Mew Aqua much longer.

"We would have let you live here; all of you. You could have helped us save the environment. We're doing all we can, a little bit at a time! We're not perfect! But we're more like you than you think! Can't you understand that?!"

Tears shone in her eyes.

One pair of golden eyes widened. Suddenly, the truth had struck home.

Four girls released their power, giving it to one. They fell away, leaving it to their friend.

"Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!"

Three aliens tried to flee. One was determined to fight. He attempted to block the attack, to push through it to deliver a killing blow. But he had underestimated her strength. He had not known, as had the others, how the power of Mew Aqua increased when she used it. Had he known, had he seen it before, he would not have tried to fight.

The blast was blinding. People fled, trying desperately to get away. Only four remained. One struggled to his feet, his power spent; two waited to see the outcome of this battle; one waited to find out if Ichigo would be alright.

Deep Blue was no more. The light faded. At once, five girls transformed back to normal. Their powers were gone. One girl, who had been at the center of the explosion, flew backward, unconscious. Strong arms caught her, both falling to the ground.

"Ichigo! Ichigo!"

Footsteps echoed in the near silence of the aftermath.

**Ta-da! It's been bothering me all day! I'm just worried that it's awful! EEE!!! Tell me what you think, please? **


	2. Damage

**I'm actually supposed to be working on Healing Scars…I haven't updated that one in ages. But at the time of typing this, I'm without internet connection, and therefore, I can't look up what I need to know to make the plot come together. So here I am, switching to an entirely different category in my desperation to work on something. **

**Otulia: Relative disclaimers apply. The plot, however…that was born from Kinkatia's idle thoughts and my hyperness.**

Damage

Tokyo was calm following the battle. Its people were in a state of shock, most of them unable to comprehend what had happened. Nevertheless, they would soon be putting it behind them, focusing on rebuilding their city. Fortunately, the fight had not taken place in a residential district, and few homes had been lost. The number of casualties, however, was much greater. The attack had come without warning; innocents had lost their lives.

The hospitals were nearly full; a great number had been injured in their flight to safety. Doctors and nurses worked tirelessly, getting aid to those who needed it. They couldn't afford to watch news reports or gather around the site of the battle to stare in disbelief. They had a job to do. Sitting around in shock could wait.

The battle had caused an unbelievable amount of damage to the city. The entire district in which it was fought was nearly destroyed; buildings toppled, streets torn up, and in some places, the ground was simply torn away. Where the final explosion brought about by the power of the Mew Aqua had occurred, almost everything man-made had been disintegrated. Ashes blew about on the wind, like a dreary snowfall.

Those who had been closest to the explosion had not escaped unharmed.

* * *

Zakuro stared idly out the window of her hospital room, deep in thought. She ignored the pain in her broken leg and the throbbing in her head. None of that mattered at the moment. The battle may have been won, but another fight was just beginning. 

"What will you do now?"

Pai, leaning against the wall behind her, shook his head. "I don't know. Deep Blue-sama was our only hope of saving our people."

"You know that's not true," she replied. "If you had not followed him, a peaceful solution could have been found."

Pai said nothing. This was the same thing Ichigo had always been telling him and his friends. They shouldn't fight, but instead, work together. He silently watched Zakuro as she gingerly touched the bandages on her head, a flash of pain crossing her face.

"Why did you fight, when you knew you would get hurt?"

A sad smile played across her lips. "What is my life, to save a hundred others, or to save this planet? I have no regrets."

There was silence for some time, each deep in thought.

"So, what will you do?" Zakuro asked again.

Pai did not answer; he merely teleported away.

* * *

Taruto sighed sadly, holding back tears as he kept his secret vigil. He'd never wanted to cry so much before, not even when Kisshu had been badly wounded by the Blue Knight. 

His eyes never left the bruised and battered young girl on the bed before him. Her breathing was shallow and ragged, her face pale. She was barely hanging onto life.

"Purin," he whispered, "Don't die."

A small groan escaped her lips, and her eyes opened a fraction. She blinked at him several times before asking quietly, "TaruTaru, have you stopped doing bad things?"

His eyes filled up as he nodded.

She gave him a weak smile. "That makes Purin very happy." Her eyes closed as she drifted back into unconsciousness.

Keiichiro stood silently in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe for support. Though he was still weak, he had come to watch over Purin, just as her friend had also done.

* * *

Retasu leaned back on the bench just outside the hospital, closing her eyes. She'd been lucky enough to get away with only a broken collarbone, and was allowed to go home. But in order to do that, she'd have to go past the site of the final battle. 

Footsteps approached, and a familiar voice asked, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," she replied, "Just a little sore." She looked at the blonde standing beside the bench. "Shirogane-san, have you been to see the district?"

He knew what she meant. "Yeah. It's pretty bad. Shouldn't you be getting home?"

She nodded. "Yes, but…I…I don't want to see it."

"You're family is probably worried."

Again, she nodded and said nothing.

Ryou was silent for a moment, thinking. Then, he extended a hand to her. "I'll walk with you," he offered, and helped her to her feet.

"Arigatou," Retasu said quietly as they began the trek to her home.

* * *

"Thank you for allowing me to stay here." 

Minto looked at the blonde-haired, blue-clad alien sitting on the bed in the guest room. "It's the least I can do, after you protected me from that explosion."

He nodded slowly, his eyes roaming over the room.

"Do you have a name other than Blue Knight?" she asked, sitting down in a chair by the window.

"My true name," he said quietly, "is Hitoshi."

Minto nodded. "You're hungry, aren't you? I'll ask Grandmother to bring something to eat."

Just as she was getting up to leave, he spoke. "I'm glad." She looked at him to see him staring at the floor. "I'm glad Deep Blue could not erase Masaya's existence. It was because of that that he separated himself from us, and the reason I am alive today." He looked up at Minto and smiled. "I am free to live my own life now. I can choose for myself who to protect."

* * *

Aoyama sat next to Ichigo's bed, waiting patiently for her to wake up. The doctor who had treated her believed her to be lucky, suffering only minor burns from the explosion and a few bruises. But she was exhausted, having used most of her energy along with that of the Mew Aqua. She needed to sleep. 

"Aoyama-kun," she mumbled, stirring.

"I'm here, Ichigo," he said softly, smiling. "I'm glad you're alright."

Her eyes opened as she turned her head in his direction. But something was wrong. "I…I can't see you," she said, sounding confused. "I…I can't see anything…"

* * *

A lone figure, seated on the ledge just outside the hospital window stiffened, fists clenching angrily. How could he have let the fight continue? Why? There had to be something he could do...something...anything...

An idea struck him, and his eyes hardened with resolve. "I will do it...for Ichigo..." A moment later, he was gone.

**It's sad, isn't it? Tell me what you think! Review! And uh...yeah, I just realized I had forgotten to add that last part, so...yeah...**


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